A small bull market in volatility

Higher again today, the Volatility Index has gained for six straight sessions and is now at a 7-week high. Taper fear makes for a good excuse, but Baird's Bruce Bittles says the stock market - after notching its longest string of weekly advances in nearly a decade - simply needs a break.

MKM's Jim Strugger says a number of potential negative catalysts lie ahead - notably Fed meetings in mid-December and late January, the January 1 deadline to sign up for Obamacare, and January 15 end of the current government spending authority (don't forget Friday's employment report).